SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Visiting her son’s headstone is not easy for Tawny Arnds.

Her son Josh died at 19 from fentanyl, taking a pill he thought was something else. His presence, Arnds said, is still a tremendous loss three years later.

“We just took our annual trip to visit relatives in Montana and he would always be there,” Arnds said. “Always go fishing. And on our way home this year, a young man about his age sat next to me and I just thought it should be him.”

Arnds said Josh was like family to many in the community.

“He loved everybody and he would be like a big brother to all of his friends,” Arnds said. “He was almost six three and loved taking care of them.”

According to the California Department of Public Health, opioid related deaths, which includes fentanyl, have more than doubled in the last 10 years.

In 2023, over 8,000 people died of opioid related deaths, with over 90% of those involving fentanyl. It’s an issue Tawny says can’t be spoken about enough.

“I don’t think you can say too much about it,” Arnds said. “I think people need to be reminded constantly.”

The state believes so too and why the first statewide education campaign called Facts Fight Fentanyl has launched.

Jessica Hwang, with the state Department of Public Health, said along with multi-platform outreach, a new website will help people locate overdose-reversing drug Naloxone and provide other information to help dispel a lot of misinformation around Fentanyl.

“There’s considerable misinformation about fentanyl and Naloxone, specifically with Californians aged 16 to 39,” said Hwang, Public Awareness Section Chief with CDPH. “The facts fight fentanyl campaign will promote accurate facts about fentanyl, such as the fact that you cannot overdose merely by touching someone.”

Leaders around the state agree education is key.

For Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire, he said he also wants to hold those who knowingly sell such a potent drug accountable.

Several DAs around the state have now charged fentanyl dealers with murder. 

Gire said recently they charged their fifth person.

“I’ve been a narcotics prosecutor for a long time,” Gire said. “People have died from overdoses of heroin and methamphetamine and cocaine, but not in such an acute, rapid way.”

Gire said his office has spoken at every middle and high school in Placer County about the dangers fentanyl poses, and plans to redo schools again with this new school year.

Arnds said she agrees with both tactics and she herself helps with education.

“I’m thankful to be invited on occasions to share Josh’s story with the group Arrive Alive because, you know, he was a miracle child,” she said.

And why Arnds said she’ll continue to honor Josh and work to keep others alive.